Members of the Sikh community in the Canadian city of Calgary held the annual Nagar Kirtan Parade (also known as Khalsa Parade) to celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi on Saturday.
The event saw a considerable gathering of supporters of Khalistani separatists. Anti-Indian elements and Khalistani separatists waved Khalistan flags in the presence of Calgary police officials.
The Canadian police also organised a special recruitment drive during the Nagar Kirtan/Khalsa Parade.
“Our Recruiting Unit was honoured to be a part of this event, connecting with potential applicants to join our team,” Calgary Police said in a statement.
Canadian RCMP had previously posted notices asking potential recruits to come and meet police officials personally to enquire about recruitment.
“Join us at the Sikh Parade/Nagar Kirtan 2024 for an exclusive opportunity to meet an RCMP recruiter in person and explore over 150 different career paths,” the RCMP said ahead of the event.
Relations between both nations entered a tough phase when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, without evidence, claimed that Indian officials were behind the murder of Khalistani separatist-terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was gunned down in 2023 at a parking lot of a gurdwara and four Indians have been charged with their murder. The four men have been presented before a court in British Columbia province.
Indian officials and the government on several occasions have intimated the Canadian government that Canada’s soil is being used to threaten India’s sovereignty but the Canadian government has failed to take concrete steps.
Senior officials like Jyoti Gondek, who is the mayor of Calgary, was also present. “Today, Calgarians united in the thousands for the annual Nagar Kirtan parade celebrating the founding of the Khalsa. It is always a moment of pride for the Sikh community and I’m grateful to have shared the experience once again with everyone,” Gondek said.
Officials estimated that over 100,000 attended the event where members sang, danced and performed a display of traditional Sikh martial arts.
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